1937 Luger P08 Jamming Data
 

Hello again,

In an earlier post, I reported that my new acquisition, a 1937 Luger P08, was jamming often during firing at the range.

I took your advice and recorded the types and numbers of jams in a session at the range today. I used 3 different magazines, loaded each with 8 rounds, and cycled each one twice, for a total of 6x8=48 rounds. I used Winchester 115 GR FMJ in this test. There were one or two jams for each magazine used. Magazines A and B are new Mec-Gar, C is the original magazine issued with the pistol. A table of these jams is shown in the pictures.

I then switched to Fiocchi 124 gr FMJ, and shot two magazines, for a total of 16 rounds. I encountered the same type of jams, at about the same frequency, 3 in the first magazine, 1 in the second.

I've attached a compilation pictures of the jams from a couple angles.The first 8 jam pictures are for the Winchester ammunition, the last two are for the Fiocchi.

Any advice on what I might do to improve performance would be greatly appreciated !

Chuck

Replace the extractor spring.

Winchester plus mec gar plus decent springs should work well.

The photos of the right side of the pistol show a broken ejector.

Doug is right on the money! There is no ejector! Surprising it works at all! The only thing throwing the cartridge out of the chamber is the grip of the extractor.


In fact, from looking at your jamming photo's the extractor holds onto the cartridge very well and jams it back into the breech face when the bolt comes forward. The empty cartridge held in this position likely prevents another live cartridge from rising out of the magazine.



Install a working ejector and your problems will be solved.

Photos 15 and 16 show that the ejector is broken, as earlier noted. Contact LugerDoc.
dju

How about that. I was focused on ejector and springs, and since there was no extractor on my piece, didn’t realize this part was missing !

I have parts on order, and will report back once I get everything back together.

Thanks to all who replied !

Chuck

Just a little upside down on that. Your extractor is fine. Your ejector is still partly there, just the working end is broken off. Important difference in the two parts and their function.

Thanks, Doug !

25 below here in Minneapolis tomorrow - not often we’re colder than Fairbanks !

Chuck

I've noticed when it gets much below 20 below zero, folks get "brain freeze". I see this a lot during my day job as a paratransit driver. I usually do around 120 miles a day in the area carrying disabled folks. The stuff I see drivers do on the roads when it gets real cold is mind boggling. 40 below just gets stupid, on so many levels. We will catch up with you this upcoming weekend, as it is forecast to be in the mid 20's below zero. Been here since '69, so just another day at the office. If you are cold, you didn't dress warm enough....

Do take the time to inspect the spring and area under the extractor. It's possible that problems there helped the ejector break.

The well where the extractor spring sits needs to be clean and lightly lubricated.

The extractor and ejector together must be able to launch the spent cases up and over the shooter. If the cases land on your head or in your neck, the extractor spring needs attention.

I had a 1937 VoPo that consistently spewed its spent cases either in my face or in the back of my neck. After a new extractor spring the cases went up and away, as they should.

Never had much luck with aftermarket ejectors, so I installed original replacements.
Extractor springs, however, are available as aftermarket ones and they should work well.

Another problem solved; another happy ending (on its way).

Got my ejector from Numrich, pulled off the broken one and worked the new one (factory NOS) into place with a couple raps from a plastic hammer.

Off to the range again, taking both the Luger and a newly purchased 1943 Enfield No 2 Mk 1**. The Luger performed superbly for the first couple magazines, but then started to jam again. I’ve attached a picture of the results from a magazine through the Luger, and a cylinder from the Enfield. The Enfield has a long double action only trigger pull, and shoots low and to the left, but I still managed to keep all shots in the black. The nice tight group in the center is from the Luger. Amazingly accurate, the sights are spot on !

The Luger started jamming again, seemingly due to binding of the ejector tab in the slot in the breech block. Looks like I still have a bit of adjusting to do ! As before, any advice on solutions would be appreciated !

Thanks again,
Chuck

Before you start to work on any parts, try shooting it with all the friction points oiled up. I know my P08's like to be fairly wet to function really well. When the breechblock travels forward, it should push the ejector to the right slightly.

What kind of jamming? Same as before?

Yes,
do adjust the the ejector at the front to clear the slot in in the frame.
A little filing of the round "nose" is usually all it takes; you should not need a hammer to get the ejector in, but a little push with a chopstick may be needed at the rear of the ejector, to get the narrow ejector to seat in its groove.
Sometimes the round projection does not align with the hole in the receiver, and a little filing on the ejector is in order to get it to seat- but don't go too far, and keep it square- or it will pop back out when fired.

The ejector must move freely at the front where it sticks into the bolt path, when the "tab" is pushed by hand(or stick) from the inside; I suspect your ejector is caught and not moving "in" fully so it does not make contact with the empty case as it should.

But doesn't the photo show that it correctly ejected the spent case but the next-in-line round jammed straight forward and did not raise up to enter the chamber? If that is correct then I'd focus on magazine and follower (calling G. T...) or different ammo/bullet design.
No?
dju

Thanks again for all the comments.

Doug - I ran it wet as well ( ballistol ) and had the same issues. When the ejector tab was broken, the slide action was snappy and crisp, with all the "stop points" you would expect.

Jerry - The jams this time were all of the type in the picture, where the previous casing was properly ejected, but the next round was not loaded. It seemed to me that the slide was binding, but couldn't tell exactly where.

Don - Your analysis makes sense. I will have a look at the ejector fit.

David - Yes, I also have some concern about the magazine fit - it seems to me that there is more play than there should be once the magazine is inserted.

Once again, what a great community ! A post in the evening and a set of great ideas in the morning !

I'll report back once I try out these ideas.

Best regards,
Chuck

Have you checked the spring and area under the extractor to be sure it's properly clean and lubricated?

The ejector should not bind in front. Small "hangups" can have an impact on the overall timing of the pistol.

The correct recoil spring is needed, as are a correctly operating magazine, magazine spring and follower. There are a range of recoil spring lengths and strengths, document in the forum FAQ document.

It seemed to me that the slide was binding, but couldn't tell exactly where.



You may want to try and determine where..remove your new ejector and see if that solves the binding. If so, your focus can be localized to the ejector. If not, it's elsewhere.